The present invention relates generally to precision type forage harvesters utilizing knives mounted to a flywheel for cooperative action against a shearbar to chop crop material and, more particularly, to a quick adjust mechanism for facilitating the adjustment of the positional relationship between the shearbar and the movable knives.
Typically, quick adjust shearbar mechanisms utilize a mechanical linkage to move the position of the shearbar relative to the rotating knives. One such adjustable shearbar apparatus can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,248, granted on March 13, 1984, to Curtis H. Lindblom et al.
The problems encountered in such shearbar adjustment mechanisms, i.e., mechanisms in which the mechanical linkage induces movement of a clamped in place shearbar, involve bowing of a shearbar, torque fluctuations encountered in the shearbar clamping bolt, and difficulties in the serviceability due to the general complexity of the adjustment mechanism. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a shearbar adjustment mechanism that would improve serviceability, decrease torque fluctuations and improve bowing problems in the shearbar.